The Spirit of the Dragoon
by Starborne Wonderland
Summary: He had always loved mythology, dragons more than anything else. So, when he learned that he had been born with the power of a Dragon, he chose to become a Dragon rather than simply use the power of one.
_Disclaimer: I own nothing!_

 **The Spirit of the Dragoon**

 _ **Arc I: Emergence of the Dragoon**_

I: Childhood Reunion

 _Naruto_

" _I'm Rias! Rias Gremory! A first-year middle-schooler!"_ _the voice that I would always remember rung in my ears. I looked at the girl, taking in her features. Long crimson hair with a strand of hair sticking up at the top, round blue eyes set in a pretty but narrow face._

 _I grinned at the girl who would hopefully be my first friend at my new school, the recently-turned coed Kuō Academy._

" _I'm Naruto! Namikaze Naruto!" Her head tilted to the side cutely, and I just knew what was coming. It had happened every single time someone heard my name._

" _Fishcake?"_

That was the start of our friendship.

~~Spirit~~

" _You…you're moving? You're leaving?"_ _It tore me inside to hear the pain in her voice. I looked down, unable to look her in the eyes, to see the tears I knew were waiting, just behind the surface._

" _I don't have a say in this, Ri-chan. The old perv made the choice. But I will come back as soon as I can!"_

 _I felt hands on my face, lifting my face so that my blue eyes would meet her seafoam ones._

" _Promise me, Naruto-kun. Promise me you'll come back."_

 _Looking in to her eyes, I knew I didn't have a choice here, either. Not that I wanted one. My best friend… as if I could just leave her in my past._

" _Promise of a lifetime, Ri-chan! And you know I never go back on my word!"_

 _My pretty best friend graced me with a smile before stepping closer to me, and before I could ask what was going on, I felt a soft pressure against my cheek._

" _I'll see you, then, Naruto-kun."_

 _I felt my cheeks heat up as I looked at her, while she smiled back at me._

That was the last time I saw her: Rias Gremory. My best friend. The girl I didn't know the truth about back then. Even now, though, what she hid from me doesn't matter. She is and always will be my best friend.

~~Spirit~~

 _I gasped for breath as I rounded the corner, sprinting from the man that was chasing me. I still didn't understand it, though. Was he a fucking government experiment or something?!_

" _Quit running, maggot! You're only prolonging the inevitable and making this worse on yourself by pissing me off!"_

 _I turned at the sound, still gaping at the dark-haired man. After all, who the hell had wings? And he obviously wasn't an angel…his wings were dark as midnight._

 _I went to run again, only to scream in pain as the spear that looked to be made of light that he had carried went right through my leg, piercing me to the wall._

 _The man sighed as he walked towards me, shaking his head when he saw the pure hatred in my eyes._

" _You shouldn't hate me, you know? If anything, blame God for the burden he placed on you, human."_

 _I gaped at the man as he spoke of God as if the deity actually existed._

" _What…the hell are you talking about, you psycho?!"_

 _Another sigh left the man's lips as he dusted off the trench coat he wore._

" _I suppose it doesn't matter. You'll be dead soon anyways."_

 _Before the man could go on speaking, though, I watched as a knife pierced through his chest from behind him._

" _You would be wrong about that, crow. You're the one who'll be dead soon."_

 _My eyes widened at the voice, and they widened even further when I saw the mane of gray hair on my savior._

" _It's all right, brat. You're safe now."_

 _I managed one last word before I gave in to the serenity of unconsciousness._

" _Perv…?"_

It was after that happened that I learned the truth of the world: that what I thought of as myths, the stories I loved the most… were all real. Angels, Angels that fell from God's Grace, Devils, Youkai… and most importantly, to me anyways, Dragons. They all existed. And I learned why that Fallen Angel came after me. I held a 'Tool of God', a Sacred Gear. A power with the potential to kill a god, locked away deep in my body.

~~Spirit~~

" _You're sure about this, brat? If we do this…there's no going back. You understand that?"_

 _I looked into the dark eyes of my guardian, the self-proclaimed super pervert. The man who had protected me all my life, from more than I had ever understood until now._

" _Yeah. I get it. I'm sure. I don't want to live my life being protected. So, teach me. Teach me how to use this power that was sealed in me. Teach me to use it so I can protect myself."_

 _Jiraiya nodded at me, his mane of gray following the motion._

" _All right, Naruto. From now on, though, you call me Jiraiya-sensei!"_

 _I deadpanned at the man, wondering if he honestly expected me to do that. I didn't give a shit that he wasn't human, that he could kill me if he wanted._

" _Yeah…that's not happening, you old perv."_

And that was when I began to learn how to use my powers. The power of the Dragon that slumbered in the Sacred Gear placed in my body by God's System. The power that I would make my own, no matter what it cost me.

~~Spirit~~

" _ **You sure about this, Aibou?"**_ A deep voice rumbled in my head as I looked up at the purple sky. The only thing that made it obvious I wasn't still in Japan. To people that didn't have any sensing abilities, anyways.

"I'm sure. What about you? If you ask me not to do this, I won't." Except, the both of us knew that was a lie the moment it came out of my mouth.

" _ **Hah! As if you would, Naruto! We both already know my answer, anyways. I would follow you into battle against any foe, even if I did have a choice in the matter."**_

A soft smile grew on my lips as the baritone voice rung in my head. The voice of the one who had been with me since my birth, even if I didn't know about it until three years ago, shortly after my fifteenth birthday. Just a bit over a year since I had left Kuō…left Ri-chan.

It still boggled my mind that I was back where I felt I belonged. Now knowing why we had left in the first place, I couldn't blame Jiraiya. That didn't change the fact that I had hated every second we were gone.

"Yeah. Let's do this, then, Aibou."

I felt the presence in my mind give a toothy grin as he released a roar.

" _ **Right!"**_

I wrapped my hands back around the handles of my bike as I started it, revving the engine. You had to make as big a scene as possible when crashing a party, after all.

A grin stretched my lips as I kicked up the stand on my bike, blasting forward towards the entry doors of the large mansion that were adorned with the image of a Phoenix.

~~Spirit~~

 _Rias_

I hated doing this, but I couldn't watch as my Peerage – the people who had grown to become my family – were killed. I couldn't lose them. I wouldn't. So I forfeited, even if it meant I would live the rest of my life sad. So long as they could go on smiling, I would manage.

As I felt the spell hit me to teleport me into the audience hall where the party would be, I gave in to the childish thoughts of a little girl one last time. Messy, sunshine blonde hair and cerulean eyes flashed before my eyes.

The memory of a friend… A friend that was gone and never coming back, no matter what promise we made before he left. All that was left now were regrets, what-ifs.

 _What if I had been honest with him?_ If I told him what I was, would he have accepted me or would he have shunned me?

 _What if I had reincarnated him?_ Would he have hated me for taking his humanity, for ruining any chance he had at a normal, human life? Or would he have embraced this life, me included, like he did everything in the life he lived?

It was time to say goodbye to even those, now. After today, I wouldn't be the same Rias Gremory anymore.

A soft whisper left my lips before the spell finished and carried me away to the hall.

"I guess this is goodbye to the life I knew."

~~Spirit~~

I kept the grimace off of my face as I arrived in the hall. In the arms of the fiancé my family had chosen for me. The fiancé I hated with every fiber of my being.

As he spoke to the guests here for the wedding, I looked over to my Peerage. My family.

Cute little Koneko, the girl who lost everything she knew and loved, yet still went on living, her strength of will matching the strength she was gifted as my Rook. I could do the same, couldn't I?

Akeno, my closest friend, despite her sadistic tendencies. The one who always stood at my side as my Queen.

Yuuto, the boy who had watched his friends die… the boy who became a Knight, my Knight, so that he wouldn't lose anyone else he loved.

Asia, the Bishop who couldn't stand to see someone hurt, even if they were someone she should hate.

Issei, the most perverted boy I had ever met, but with a heart that sometimes reminded me of my childhood best friend's. The boy I had tried to use to get out of this engagement. My Pawn who I had tried to use as just that.

I could do nothing but watch them for a few seconds before, finally, I gathered myself and mouthed two words to them.

'I'm sorry.'

And truly, I was. They had given their all for me, and I had let them down.

"Now then, how about we get down to business, my darling Rias?" I refused to turn my head myself, so he brought a hand up and turned my face so that he could look into my eyes. "That's better now, isn't it, Rias?"

As he went to kiss me, something kind of like a roar rumbled behind the doors, growing ever closer.

Heads snapped over to look at the door, wondering what the noise could possibly be. Finally, the doors burst in, the guards stationed in front of them flying across the hall along with shattered pieces of the doors.

I don't think anyone had expected this, really.

A red, kind of dragon-looking motorcycle burst in, ridden by a male with blonde hair, a bandana with a metal plate wrapped around his forehead. The man brought his foot down, slowing the bike as he turned, ending up sideways from where my fiancé and I stood.

Finally, he looked up. The cerulean eyes that looked at me sent a waterfall of memories falling through my mind.

"What the hell is this?!"

~~Spirit~~

 _Naruto_

"What the hell is this?!" The shout that came from the blonde dude dressed in a red suit with a white dress shirt – the top few buttons undone to show off his chest – that stood next to a beautiful redhead in a wedding dress emblazoned with images of Phoenixes brought a grin to my lips. No entrance like a grand one!

The grin remained on my lips as I stood up from my bike, kicking the stand down as I went. As I stood, I stuck my hands in the pockets of my purple-tinted black pants.

"Yo! I'm not late, am I?" As I spoke up, I pulled my right hand out of my pocket for a split second to give a three-fingered wave.

"Who the hell are you?!" my fellow blonde roared at me, acting like I had personally offended him. Then again, in this case, I suppose I did. Not like I give a shit, though.

"Name's Namikaze Naruto! I would say it's nice to meet you, but I was raised to not tell a lie, so you're shit outta luck, I guess." As I spoke this, the blonde grew even more infuriated.

That wasn't who I was worried about, though. The eyes of the redhead that stood next to him widened, staring at me as if she was seeing a ghost. She slowly stepped away from the dirty-haired blonde next to her, robotically walking towards me.

As she stood in front of me, she brought a hand up, brushing my cheek as if to check and see if I was really there.

"…Naruto-kun?" Tears built up in her eyes as she looked at me, and a soft smile grew on my face as I looked into her seafoam eyes.

"Yo, Ri-chan. Why so surprised? You should know by now that I never go back on my word."

Those words apparently opened the floodgates as the tears that sat unshed in her eyes finally began to streak down her cheeks.

She flung her arms around my neck, embracing me. I smiled down at her as I brought my hands out of my pockets to wrap them around her waist.

"You came back to me. You really came back to me!" She cried before laying her head against my chest. This is where I'm meant to be. I know that much.

"What the hell is this?!"

I groaned at the interruption before grinning again as the dirty-blonde repeated himself from when I had first entered the hall.

"This, asshat, is a reunion between childhood friends. You could at least shut the hell up for a few seconds, ya know that?" Pun very much intended, by the way!

The man glared at me as he stepped closer, fire wreathing his hands as he aimed them at me.

"Get the hell away from my fiancé!"

I sighed before pulling Ri-chan's arms from around me, mouthing 'later' to her as I went to face to my fellow blonde.

"Now you see, that is the one thing I can't do for you, Yakitori-chan." I was forced to duck as a ball of flames flew over my head, my grin growing on my face again. I looked at the blonde as he glared at me even harsher than before, ready to burn me to ash. That wasn't about to happen, though.

"You trash! You dare?!"

The people all around us continued mumbling, wondering what was going on and who I was.

"Ouch. That hurt, you know. Right here." I gestured to my heart as I stepped closer to him. "But hey, you might be right. So go ahead, call me trash. I don't really care. So long as the people I care about are happy, I don't give a rat's ass what the rest of the world thinks about me."

Another fireball came flying at me, but this time I merely tilted my head to the side.

"Now, see, Yakitori-chan, that isn't how you make friends!"

As much as I was loving this, though, I really did need to get to the point before it got even more out of hand. That would _not_ be good.

"Now, you asked in your own _polite_ way what I was doing here. So I'll answer that for ya." As I continued speaking, I gestured to Rias. "A little bat happened to find me and tell me that my best friend was being forced into a marriage she didn't want whatsoever. Obviously, being the dashing hero and awesome friend I am, I decided to come to the rescue."

"As if a no-name piece of scum like you could best a High-Class Devil of the Phenex Clan!" the blonde roared at me as he threw another ball of fire, which I dodged easily.

Finally, though, someone saw fit to interrupt.

A man with blue eyes and long crimson hair that looked to be in his twenties stepped in between us. He was dressed in a mix of golden armor and robes, and it was obvious that he was of a high ranking position.

"Actually, Riser, this was my idea."

The mumbling increased as the man spoke up, no one quite sure why he would do this. A grin stretched my lips as my fellow blonde seemed to gawk at the man.

"But, Sirzechs-sama, why would you think to do this?"

The man gave a small sigh before nodding to himself.

"You see, Riser, I thought the Rating Game between you and my sister was quite subpar, to be honest." The blonde's gawking increased if it was possible, not quite sure how to take what the red-haired man had said. "You've had plenty of experience in the Games, and yet my sister nearly beat you in her very first match when she doesn't even have half of a full Peerage."

The blonde seemed to gain some of his bravado back as he spoke.

"It is the results that count, my Lord."

The redhead shook his head, obviously a little upset at the statement.

"In some cases, perhaps. As I said, though, I was underwhelmed. That, and I can't exactly leave my little sister without a wedding to remember. So, I set this up. I wish you to face Naruto here in a fight. One on one."

The blonde stared at the man before laughing, as if the very idea itself were insane.

"He's but a no-name loser, though! How could this possibly be entertaining, Sirzechs-sama?"

The redhead shook his head at the blonde, as if wondering how he had done so well in the Games he had been in.

"You would do well not to underestimate an unknown opponent, Riser. That being said, I ask of you to face Naruto here. Or are you telling me you don't want a wedding day to remember?"

The blonde regained even more of his bravado as he listened to the Crimson Satan before he shot off a cocky grin and nodded.

"Very well, Sirzechs-sama. I will face this no-name loser and prove myself to you!"

~~Spirit~~

As I sat in a comfy chair in the lavish waiting room I was given while the battlefield was prepared in a small alternate dimension, I sighed to myself.

"Damn. The old perv was right. I am a trouble magnet."

I turned my head at the sound of the door opening only to see a beautiful redhead in a white dress adorned with images of Phoenixes walk in.

"Yo, Ri-chan! Come to wish me luck?"

My face snapped to the side, though, as I received something I hadn't expected.

"Did you jus-"

"Are you insane, Naruto-kun? What makes you think you can beat Riser when you're a human? How do you even know about the Supernatural?!"

I smiled softly at Rias as I wrapped my arms around her, taking in her smell as I embraced the friend I hadn't seen in four years. She finally placed her head against my chest as tears ran down her cheeks, staining her face but not taking away from her beauty.

"Am I insane? Not anymore than anyone else, really. And just because I'm a human doesn't mean I'm not strong, Ri-chan. As for me knowing about the Supernatural, I'll explain all that once we're back at Kuō." I tilted her head up to look at me as I spoke, staring into her seafoam eyes. "For now, I just need you to not worry so much and trust me, Ri-chan. All right?"

She stared at me for a moment, as if she still couldn't believe that I was here in front of her.

"Promise me, Naruto-kun. Promise me you'll be fine after this."

Despite almost being drawn into my memories of the past, I refused to let it happen as I looked down at Rias, a soft smile on my lips.

"Promise of a lifetime, Ri-chan." The redhead nodded at me while looking me in the eyes. Finally, she leaned closer to me and captured my lips in a kiss. I stood there, not sure how to react, before she pulled away after only a few moments and smiled at me.

"For luck. Come back to me, Naruto-kun."

~~Spirit~~

"Now then, before we get started, I believe there are some things that need settled. Seeing as I asked this of you, Naruto, what would you like should you win? Wealth, power, perhaps even a beauty or two?" Sirzechs asked as he looked to me while we stood in the pocket dimension before the start of the fight.

"Ri-chan. If I win, she comes back to Kuō with me, and this engagement is cancelled."

The redhead nodded to me, ignoring the pissed-off look on the face of my fellow blonde.

"Very well. You both understand the rules?" Sirzechs asked as he looked between me and my fellow blonde. He was rewarded with two nods, the one from my fellow blonde curt, before he nodded to himself. "All right, then. Grayfia will be judging this match, but all that really means is she will call the winner. You will fight until one of you gives up or is unable to fight any further." We both nodded again before Sirzechs teleported out, thus announcing the start of the match.

"You might as well just give up now and keep your pathetic life, scum."

I glared at my fellow blonde before I smiled.

"And give you the pleasure of thinking you're better than me? Sorry to say I'll have to pass, Yakitori-chan."

I smirked as the fire flew towards before I dodged to the side, letting it sail by me harmlessly. No need to let all the aces up my sleeve out at the first moment.

"I'll burn you to ash, then, you scum! No one will even miss you!" he roared as he threw even more flame at me. I continued to grin as I easily dodged. "Just give in and admit you aren't better than the mighty Phenex!"

"Mighty? Maybe in name. Tell me, though, all that power you have. Did you train for it, or do you only sit on the coattails of your name while treating everyone else like the dirt on your shoes?"

The stare I got in return was all the answer I needed.

"Right. I thought so. Let's do this, then, Yakitori."

My fellow blonde roared before unleashing another conflagration towards me, and I grinned before opening my mouth, eating the fire as it came towards me.

"Wha-what the hell?!" the Phenex stared at me, baffled. I'm sure there were similar expressions on the faces of everyone viewing our fight.

I let out a large burp before speaking up.

"Ah! That hit the spot. Thanks, Yakitori-chan, I was getting hungry!"

The man gawked at me before unleashing another fire at me, which suffered the same fate as the previous.

"How? How the hell can you eat fire?!"

I grinned again at the man, enjoying his disbelief.

"Well, that's a story there, all right." I stuck my hands in my pockets, knowing this asshat would listen to the explanation, if only so he could enjoy killing me more afterwards as he bragged about getting past my power.

"Ya see, Yakitori, I may be a human. But I was born with a Sacred Gear. A Sacred Gear with a Dragon in it."

His eyes narrowed as he took in what I said before speaking up himself.

"How the hell does that mean you can eat fire?"

I smirked at him as I brought my left hand out of my pocket, running it through my hair – spiking the mess of hair up rather than leave it sticking every which way – before letting it hang limply at my side.

"Well, ya see, as a kid, I always loved the idea of Dragons. All the stories and myths about them…so, imagine my shock when I not only learn they're all real, but that there was a Dragon sealed away in my body!" I took a few steps closer to him, keeping enough distance just in case he decided to not let me finish the story. "So, I decided to go a step further than just using the power of that Dragon. I decided to become a Dragon myself!"

"That's impossible! At most you'd be able to barely use the power as a human!"

I grinned at the man before raising my left hand as an emerald light began to come from it.

"You ready, Aibou?" I questioned of the one that had been with me since birth.

" _ **Always!"**_ I smirked as I looked towards the man with the powers of the Phoenix.

"So, Yakitori-chan, how would you like to play with a Dragon?" The man stared at me, not quite sure how to take what I just said.

"What?"

"Hmm. I thought so. Let's get wild, Ddraig!" His eyes widened as he processed the name I had just stated. They grew even wider as the emerald glow around my left hand became even stronger, engulfing it and making it hard to see where exactly my arm was in the glow.

" _ **Right!**_ _ **BOOST**_ _ **!"**_

As the Dragon in my body finished saying the word, the glow ceased, revealing a red gauntlet encasing my arm, adorned with golden spikes and two emerald gems, one over the back of my hand and the other above my forearm.

"More, Ddraig!"

The Phenex's eyes widened as he stumbled back a few steps, obviously now worried about what was going on.

" _ **OVERBOOSTER**_ _ **! Boosted Gear Scale Mail, Activate!"**_ An emerald glow enveloped my body for only a second, and as it disappeared, it revealed a sleek set of draconic armor built for speed encasing my body –dragon wings and all included – and a green gem over the back of each of my hands and one in the center of the armor's chest piece.

I slammed my fists together, creating emerald sparks as I grinned behind the visor of the helmet.

"Let's see how long it takes to cook the chicken, now, eh?"

~~Spirit~~

 _Rias_

I couldn't believe my eyes as I stood next to my brother and my Peerage, all of us but my brother having nearly the same expression.

"He-how?" My older brother grinned at me as he heard my attempts to speak, clearly enjoying this as much as he possibly could.

"Well, Ria-tan. There is a reason that he left. Of course, he didn't know that reason himself at first, but I kept in touch with Jiraiya. He's an old friend, and I had been the one that suggested Kuō to them in the first place."

My eyes widened as I stared at my brother.

"You knew…this whole time you knew?"

He offered me another grin along with a nod.

"I did. I wasn't sure he would make it back in time for me to fetch him, though, so I had Grayfia go and explain things to him. According to her, he was ready to go right away. Left Jiraiya with their stuff and came straight here with that bike of his and Grayfia." My brother grinned as he explained, the grin growing wider the more he spoke. "He wanted to make an entrance, though, which is why he came in how he did. And, really, I must say bravo to that entrance. Couldn't have done it better myself."

"But we never knew he had a Sacred Gear, Sirzechs-sama." My black-haired, violet-eyed Queen spoke up to my brother.

"Ah. Right. Back when you had met each other and even when you last saw each other, you hadn't quite mastered sensing such things yet, so that doesn't surprise me." He nodded to himself before deciding to go on. "According to Jiraiya, the **Boosted Gear** slumbered deep in Naruto-kun, more than Sacred Gears usually do in their hosts, and it took a little over a month for him to even manage to call upon it in its base form."

I continued to stare at the blonde who was my childhood best friend; the man who had quite literally ridden back into my life. All those what-ifs…the answers were obvious now that I had seen him again. He didn't care that I was a Devil, that I had hidden things from him.

A smile came unbidden to my face as I felt my heart racing while I looked at him, covered head to toe in red armor.

~~Spirit~~

 _Naruto_

"You think covering yourself in armor will protect you from me?!" the Phenex roared as he unleashed another barrage of fire towards me, aiming to end this as fast as he possibly could.

"Yare, yare. You're such a one-trick pony it isn't even funny anymore, Yakitori." I smirked as he roared at me, enraged that a simple _human_ could possibly stand up to his power. "Ya know, I thought Phoenixes had power over fire and wind. Where's your wind, Yakitori? Or is all that crap about being a Phoenix bullshit?"

The man shouted in anger again as he unleashed a barrage at me. It wasn't fire this time, though. I dug my feet into the ground to fight against the winds howling against my armor, trying to find purchase and knock me away. I wouldn't let that happen, though. There was too much on the line.

"Die already, you scum!" the Phenex shouted as he mixed fire into the wind, turning it into a true conflagration.

" _ **BOOST**_ _ **!**_ _ **BOOST**_ _ **!**_ _ **BOOST**_ _ **!"**_ Ddraig's voice announced over the sound of the howling wind and fire as I grinned.

"Time for my own shot, Yakitori-chan! Now, Ddraig!" I shouted as I pulled my gauntleted left hand back, emerald energy gathering all around it. "Have a taste of the power of a Dragon!"

I punched forward, unleashing all of the energy that Ddraig had helped me gather as the Dragon himself gave off another announcement.

" _ **DRAGON**_ __ _ **SHOT**_ _ **!"**_ A beam of emerald energy tore forward, ripping apart the ground all around it as it streaked towards the Phenex. It collided with the man and continued on, going until it carried my fellow blonde straight into the wall of the trashed castle that was our battlefield.

I watched as the blonde pulled himself to his feet, his body already regenerating.

"You can't beat me no matter what you do, scum! I'll keep getting back up no matter what!"

I grinned under my visor at his words before speaking up myself.

"Your body will get back up, Yakitori-chan. But, I have to wonder… how much pain can your mind take before you become unhinged?"

The blonde roared as he unleashed another conflagration at me. I took off the helmet of my armor, throwing it to the ground as I inhaled the fire.

" _ **BOOST**_ _ **!**_ _ **BOOST**_ _ **!**_ _ **BOOST**_ _ **!**_ _ **BOOST**_ _ **!"**_ Ddraig shouted as I absorbed the fire. I grinned, holding it in as long as I could before unleashing my own roar, but rather than regular red and orange flames, the ones I unleashed were the purest of whites. _**"**_ _ **DRAGON**_ __ _ **FIRE**_ _ **!"**_

The white flames beat against those of the Phenex, pushing them back until, finally, they struck the Phenex himself.

"Gah!" my fellow blonde shouted in pain as he grasped his face.

"H-how? How can fire hurt me?!"

I smirked again as I opened up my hand. He gawked at the object held within it, uncomprehending.

"A rosary!?"

"Like I said, Yakitori-chan! I became a Dragon. And not just any Dragon! I became the Dragon that devours all the power it can handle, making it my own!" I shouted at the Devil. "That's why I can eat your flames! That's why I can eat the Holy energy that dwells inside of this rosary!"

"That… that can't be possible!" he shouted as he stumbled back until his own back hit the debris of the destroyed wall, creating as much distance between the two of us as he possibly could.

"Maybe for other people! But I'm not called unpredictable for nothing! If someone tells me something is impossible, I'll do it just to prove them wrong!" I shouted back at him, unwilling to let him believe for a second that he ever had a chance of beating me. "I may be human, but I'm also a Dragon! I am the first Dragoon!"

I began to walk towards the man as he cowered away from the rosary held in my hand, dropping to the ground as he tried to crawl away.

"I have the same potential as a Dragon…the potential to kill even a god. But I also have the will of a human. The will to do whatever it takes to get what I want. And right now… I want my best friend back in my life!"

I released the armor around my body, leaving only the original red gauntlet encasing my left hand again. I grabbed my fellow blonde by his hair, yanking his head back and forcing him to look at me.

" _ **BOOST**_ _ **!"**_ Ddraig announced as he enhanced the Holy energy in the rosary. I brought my fist up, ready to drive it straight into my fellow blonde's face before a desperate cry reached my ears.

"Stop! Please!" My fist stopped only a few centimeters away from the face of the Devil as I looked over my shoulder.

A short girl stood there, looking to be only about fifteen or sixteen. Her blonde hair matched the color of Riser's, but it was far longer, coiled in two drill-like curls on either side of her head. Her blue eyes were filled with fear as she looked at me, but there was also the determination to do whatever she could to save the person whose face was barely even an inch from my fist. Obviously, she was the asshat's little sister.

"Please, don't kill my brother!" She pleaded as she bowed before me. I looked at the girl, taking her in. Taking in the determination I had seen in her eyes that reminded me of my own when Grayfia had told me what was going on.

I lowered my fist, dropping the rosary right in front of the male Phenex as I stepped back, walking towards the girl. I dismissed the gauntlet on my hand as I stepped up to her, looking down at her.

"You're brave, ya know?" My statement caused the girl to look up at me in shock, fear still evident in her eyes. "Even though I just met him today, I can tell your brother wouldn't do for you what you're doing for him right now."

The girl continued to look at me for a moment before lowering her head and whispering so low I could barely hear her.

"I know that. But… but he's still my brother. I still love him as my brother. I couldn't just sit back and watch him be hurt anymore, maybe even killed."

I grinned as I lifted my left hand before placing it on the girl's head, rubbing her hair.

"And that's why you have my respect, little Phoenix. It takes a lot of courage to stand up for someone you love despite knowing they might not do the same for you."

She blushed from her neck up to the roots of her hair as I patted her on the head before I began to walk past her.

"Just remember one thing, little Phoenix. No matter what people say, they aren't truly strong unless they're willing to put their life on the line to protect what matters to them. That's true strength. And you've got it in spades."

I continued walking, listening to the girl as she fretted over her brother, someone who would never do the same for her. Finally, Grayfia's voice was heard.

"The one-on-one match between Namikaze Naruto and Riser Phenex-sama is over. The winner is Namikaze Naruto."

I softly smiled at the words, feeling happier than I could remember being in years. I hadn't been this happy since before I was forced to leave my life at Kuō behind for my own safety.

~~Spirit~~

As soon as I stepped through the portal and into what I was told by Sirzechs to be the Lucifer mansion, I felt a pair of arms wrap around my neck as a head collided with my chest. Looking down at the head of red hair that leaned against my chest, I smiled as I felt the tears from her eyes wet my shirt.

"Yo, Ri-chan."

The beautiful girl looked up to meet my eyes, smiling one of the most sincere smiles I had ever seen.

"Naruto-kun…thank you."

I wrapped my arms around her waist, returning the hug, as I spoke.

"Did you really think I would let this happen? I would fight Heaven and Hell to protect the people that I love, Ri-chan. That includes you."

A light blush appeared on her cheeks as she digested the words I spoke. Finally, though, she gave me a soft smile before standing on her tiptoes to place a kiss on my cheek.

"And what was that for?" I grinned at her as her blush increased.

"That was for coming back to me in one piece, Naruto-kun."

I chuckled as I looked down at her before a clearing of someone's throat interrupted our moment.

"Ria-tan! I'm so happy that you're free now!"

I released a small groan at the voice of Ri-chan's siscon brother. The girl herself glared at her older brother as reddish-black energy began to swirl around her hand.

"Nii-sama…and when where you going to tell me about all of this?"

The man sheepishly chuckled as he took a step back from his angry sister.

"Now, Ria-tan, I couldn't let the cat of the bag. There was a chance of someone finding out what I had planned, after all. I may be a Satan, and I may not have been able to interfere directly because of that, but I wasn't about to watch my precious little sister be forced to marry someone she hated!"

Sirzechs stared at her as she took in his words before she nodded.

"Then I'll give you a five second head start, Nii-sama."

The man paled at the angry look in Ri-chan's eyes and started to turn to run before Grayfia grabbed him by the collar.

"I believe we have much to discuss before anything else, Sirzechs-sama, Rias-sama, Naruto-sama."

I groaned as Grayfia addressed me with the '-sama' suffix just as she did Sirzechs and Rias. I had always hated formalities.

"Ah! Right you are, Grayfia!" Sirzechs was obviously willing to hop on board with anything that could potentially spare him his little sister's wrath. "Now, as you requested should you win, Naruto-kun, Ria-tan is free to return to Kuō with you! Of course, if you don't take responsibility, I will have to- gah!" The redheaded man cried out as his wife smacked him on the back of his head.

I shook my head at the childish Satan, wondering how the prim and proper Grayfia fell in love with the man.

"I believe that Sirzechs-sama meant to say that you should enjoy the time you two now have to spend together."

The man himself pouted as he held the back of his head while I chuckled lightly at him. When I felt a hand grab mine, though, I looked over and met the seafoam of eyes of my childhood best friend.

"You'll be coming back to Kuō?" I smiled at the beautiful redhead as I nodded.

"Of course. Did you really think I wouldn't after I barged in to your wedding to that asshat?"

Ri-chan gave me another beautiful smile as she squeezed my hand.

"I see you now, Naruto-kun."

I chuckled before outright laughing at what she said. She pouted at me as I struggled to contain my laughter. Finally, though, I smiled back at her.

"Yeah. I see you now too, Ri-chan."


End file.
